One of Planetizenrsquo;s Top Ten Books of 2006"But for Birmingham;" Fred Shuttleworth recalled President John F. Kennedy saying in June 1963 when he invited black leaders to meet with him; "we would not be here today." Birmingham is well known for its civil rights history; particularly for the violent white-on-black bombings that occurred there in the 1960s; resulting in the cityrsquo;s nickname "Bombingham." What is less well known about Birminghamrsquo;s racial history; however; is the extent to which early city planning decisions influenced and prompted the cityrsquo;s civil rights protests. The first book-length work to analyze this connection; "The Most Segregated City in America": City Planning and Civil Rights in Birmingham; 1920ndash;1980 uncovers the impact of Birminghamrsquo;s urban planning decisions on its black communities and reveals how these decisions led directly to the civil rights movement.Spanning over sixty years; Charles E. Connerlyrsquo;s study begins in the 1920s; when Birmingham used urban planning as an excuse to implement racial zoning laws; pointedly sidestepping the 1917 U.S. Supreme Court Buchanan v. Warley decision that had struck down racial zoning. The result of this obstruction was the Southrsquo;s longest-standing racial zoning law; which lasted from 1926 to 1951; when it was redeclared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Despite the fact that African Americans constituted at least 38 percent of Birminghamrsquo;s residents; they faced drastic limitations to their freedom to choose where to live. When in the1940s they rebelled by attempting to purchase homes in off-limit areas; their efforts were labeled as a challenge to city planning; resulting in government and court interventions that became violent. More than fifty bombings ensued between 1947 and 1966; becoming nationally publicized only in 1963; when four black girls were killed in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.Connerly effectively uses Birminghamrsquo;s history as an example to argue the importance of recognizing the link that exists between city planning and civil rights. His demonstration of how Birminghamrsquo;s race-based planning legacy led to the confrontations that culminated in the cityrsquo;s struggle for civil rights provides a fresh lens on the history and future of urban planning; and its relation to race.
#3598264 in eBooks 2013-06-20 2013-06-20File Name: B00DHER180
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Even better than I expectedBy Imjin Scout 67Even better than I expected. Yes; its small; but mighty. The reproductions are very nice and clear and I love that the facing page of each painting shows three small images of details from the painting. It also includes brief descriptions of the media that he used for each piece. I find this so interesting as he was very experimental in his use of materials. An inspiring addition to my art library.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very informative for a.report.By J. S. Swetlik SimonI chose this rating because; as a parent; this book on Klee gavd my daughter the push to get her report dons. She learned a lot more than see already knew.This book was informative in an interesting way.I would recommend this book. It is a great read. I am artistic and was so interested to read this book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. "Klee" (Mega Square")By William BiderbostKlee (Mega Square) is a smaller volume than expected but there are many works I had not seen in other Klee books I own. What I found in this handy book is it is easy to travel with. The book packed a lot into the small size and the reproductions were very well done. Pleased to add it to my library of Paul Klee books.